1. Field of the Invention
The present patent for industrial invention relates to a sorting table for separating fruits from foreign bodies.
Although the following description refers to a sorting table for separating grape berries from undesired parts, such as stems, leaves, stalks, small dried or unripe grape berries and other foreign bodies, it is understood that the invention can be also used for separating any type of fruits with shape and size similar to grapes, such as for example olives and the like, from foreign bodies.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
As it is known, the term “destemming” indicates the operation that is carried out to separate the stems from the grapes in bunches, before processing the grapes further. Destemming is normally carried out before pressing by means of special machines, known as destemming machines.
The last generation of destemming machines uses a sorting table comprising revolving rollers with adjustable center distance, for separating grape berries from any undesired part.
Considering that grapes are mechanically harvested a drawback consists in the fact that the harvest consists in grape berries mixed with foreign bodies that need to be eliminated. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to clean the grapes.
Evidently, the center distance between the revolving rollers must be changed from time to time according to the dimensions of the grape berries to be selected. In view of the above, the sorting tables must be provided with adjustment means in order to bring the revolving rollers closer or farther.
The presence of said adjustment means complicates the fabrication of the sorting table. The more complicated the kinematic mechanism of the adjustment means is, the more expensive and less reliable the sorting table will be.
The adjustment means that have been so far designed and used are impaired by considerable complexity, which makes them difficult to build and subject to mechanical failure, or by impractical use.
EP2457671 discloses a sorting table with rollers of known type.
FR1133674 discloses a calibrating machine for potatoes and the like, comprising a frame that supports a calibrating table made of two consecutive grids comprising rollers that rotate around an axis of rotation in orthogonal direction to the longitudinal axis of the frame. Such a calibrating machine comprises actuation means and transmission means intended to rotate said rollers around their axis of rotation, in such manner to make the potatoes travel forward on said rollers. However, such actuation and transmission means do not ensure a uniform spacing of the rollers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,843 discloses a sorting machine comprising rotational shafts connected by means of an articulated parallelogram kinematic mechanism. Such a sorting machine comprises a linear actuator connected to the articulated parallelogram in such way to make the shafts translate and vary the center distance between the shafts. However the movement of the shafts is generally non-uniform.
The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, by disclosing an efficient, inexpensive, safe and versatile sorting table, which can be adjusted from time to time to the dimensions of the grape berries to be cleaned.
In particular, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a sorting table capable of guaranteeing the uniform movement of the rollers.